Windmill



(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 25

(No 111111161.) y I' V2 sheets-*sheet 2.

J. R. GODSHALL.

. WINDMILL. No. 441,153. Patented Nov. 25, 1890.

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WINDMILL.,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,153, dated November25, 1890.

Application tiled March 3l, 1890. Serial No. 346,044. (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH R. GoDsHALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Blooming Glen, in the county of Bucks and State of-Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Windmill, of which thefollowing` is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in Windmills.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve theconstruction of that class of windmills in which the blades are hingedor pivoted in the wheel and enable the wheel to automatically adjustitself and rotate with regularity, and render it capable of withstandingthe force of heavy stormswithout liability of its becoming injured.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying' drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a windmill constructedin accordance with this invention, the hinged blades being partiallyopen. Fig. 2 is a plan view, the parts being in position illustrated inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the blades closed. Fig. 4: is avertical sectional view, the wheel being shown in elevation. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view of a portion of the wheel.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a turn-table, whichis mounted upon a tower 2, and is provided upon one side with bearings3, in which is journaled a shaft 4, upon the outer end of which ismounted a wind-Wheel 5. The turn-table 1is provided with a pair of ears6, which are arranged diametrically opposite the bearings 3, and havepivoted between them the arm 7 of a vane 8, that is adapted to movelaterally to throw the wind-wheel 5 into and out of the wind, and iscontrolled by a weighted lever 9.

The wind-wheel 5 consists of a hub 10, radial spokes 11,"`having theirinner ends secured in suitable sockets and their outer ends connectedbya ring or rim 12, and blades 13, hinged to the spokes and adapted tofold within the interval between the spokes and lie iiush with the facesof the latter and presont no resistance to the wind and enable the wheelto withstand heavy storms without liability of becoming injured, and thesaid blades may be swung on the spokes 11 and open to catch the wind torotate the wheel. The blades are similarly connected to the spokes bythe hinges 14e, and are provided upon their opposite sides with stops15, that engage the adjacent spoke and prevent the blade passing throughthe interval and swinging' upon the opposite side of the wheel and holdthe blade in alignment with the spokes, and the said blades are providedat their inner ends with brackets 16, having L-shaped plates projectinginward toward the hub.

The arm 17 of the bracket 16 extends laterally from the blade and isprovided with an opening 18 to receive a rod 19, extending radially froma disk 20, that slides upon the shaft 4t in the space between thewind-wheel and the bearings 3, and is provided with a series of the rods19, that engage the blades 13, and when the disk is drawn toward thebearings 3 the blades are swung open and arranged to be engaged by thewind to rotate the wheel. The disk is provided with an in tegral flangedsleeve 21, that is engaged bya forked plate 22, secured to one end of anoperating-rod 22a, that has its other end bent laterally and engaged bya spring 24, that normally holds the blades of the wheel open, and isarranged to be compressed by the vane 8, to close the blades when thewind increases in force. The operating-rod is mounted in bearings 25 and26, and is provided with a bend 27, that engages the bearing 25 andprevents the blades opening too far; and it willl be seen that thespring 24, which is arranged upon the operating -rod between the bent`end 23 and the bearing 25, holds the blade open when there is no Windindependentof the action of the vane and the weighted lever, and thesaid blades are capable of independent adjustment and regulatethemselves to the force. of the wind, and thereby produce easy andsmooth operation of the machine and prevent the stiffness Aordinarilyincident to engines in which the Wheels are controlled solely by anadjustable weight. The vane is connected with the weighted lever 9 by alink-rod 28, and the weighted lever is provided at a point intermediateof its ends with an integral arm 29, arranged at an angle to the lever,and provided with an open- IOO ing 30, in which is secured a rope 3l,that passes over a pulley 32, and is arranged within the tower andenables the Weighted lever and the vane to be adjusted. The arm 7 of theVane is provided with a projecting plate or bracket 33, having a curvedend 34, that is' arranged t-o engage the operating-rod 22, and compressthe spring and close the hinged blade when the vane is swung laterallybythe increased force of the wind against the action of the weightedlever, andwhen the wind subsides the Weight will draw the vane to itsnormal position in alignment with the shaft 4, and the spring Will openthe hinged blades.

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that the Windmill is simpleand comparatively inexpensive in construction, and that the blades arecapable of adjustment independent of the vane and the Weighted lever,and are capable of automatically adjusting themselves to the force ofthe Wind and insure ease and regularity in the regulation of thewindmill. It will further be seen that the hinged blades are adapted tobe closed into the intervals between the spokes andlie flush with theirside faces and present no obstruction to the Wind, and thereby enablethe wheels to withstand heavy storms Without liability of becominginjured.

' The bladeby being hinged at one side to the spoke only meets withresistance oifered by the wind upon one side of the wheel, and thisresistance tends to close the blade, and as the wind increases inviolence the resistance encountered by the blades increases andpartially closes the blades and diminishes the rapidity of the wheel,which is thus rendered independently and automatically adjustable, andis little affected by variations in the force 0f the wind.

What I claim is l. In a windmill, the combination of the turn-table, theshaft journaled thereon, the Wind-wheel provided with blades having oneof their sides hinged to a spoke, the disk sliding upon the shaft andprovided with radial rods engaging the blades, and the spring-actuatedoperating-rod adapted to hold the blades open independent of the actionof the vane, substantially as described.

2. In a windmill, the combination of the turn-table, the shaft journaledthereon, the wind-wheel provided with blades hinged to the spokes, thedisk sliding upon the shaft and provided with radial rods engaging theblades, the spring-actuated operating-rod connected with the disk andholding the blades normally open, and the vane provided with the curvedprojection engaging the operatingrod, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. In a windmill, the combination of the turn-table provided with thebearings 3, 25, and 26, the shaft mounted in the bearing 3, theWind-wheel provided with blades hinged to the spoke, the disk providedwith radial rods engaging .the hinged blades and having the flangedsleeve 2l, the operating-rod mounted in the bearings 25 and 26 andhaving one end connected to the sleeve and the other end 23 bentlaterally and provided intermediate of its end with the bend 27,arranged to engage the bearing 26, and the springy24, interposed betweenthe bearing 26 and the end 23 and holding the blades normally open,substantially as described.

4. In a windmill, the combination of the turn-table, the shaft mountedthereon, the wind-wheel provided with hinged blades, the diskvslidin gupon the shaft and having radial rods engaging the blades, thespringactuated operating-rod connected to the disk and holding theblades normally open, the vane hinged to the turn-table and providedwith a curved projection arranged to engage the spring-actuatedoperating-rod, the weighted lever, and the link-rodconnecting theweighted lever and the vane, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflxedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH R. GODSI-IALL. IVitnesses:

O. H. NARE, C. M. HARTZELL.

